UTICA, N.Y. — A newly launched app named Nyano, created by a man from Utica, provides a solution for adult children living apart from their parents to keep track of their well-being.

Nano uses a smartphone’s front-facing camera to conduct a quick wellness checkup, measuring heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, stress and sleeping patterns in about 40 seconds without the need for wearables or devices on the body.

After the face scan is completed with the camera, there is an option to automatically send an email to a child. This feature would be advantageous for elderly parents who want to share vital information with their adult children. 

Ujj Rai, a Utica-based entrepreneur and recent Harvard graduate, explained that the app is particularly designed for adult children who are concerned about their parents’ wellness from afar.

“It is designed for children like me who are away from their parents to ensure our parents are doing OK,” Rai said.

“So, you can check on them just through their phone camera to ensure that they’re OK at the end of the day,” he added.

When comparing Rai’s app to the native health application on a smartwatch, the vital signs were found to be identical. During the test of his app, Nyano registered a heart rate of 84 bpm, which was consistent with the smartwatch reading of 84 bpm.

Rai previously worked on an app called Chula, which connected users directly with cooks and local farmers.

However, with varying policy changes, Rai sold Chula’s operations to a UK company and invested the proceeds in developing the new app.

Nyano is available for download on the App Store and Play Store, offering a free first month for new users.

Rai emphasized that Nyano does not collect or store user data, with all information saved locally on the user’s phone.

“We are not into the data sharing business [or] data selling business,” he said.

Rai added that the heart rate and breathing components to the app are FDA approved. 

“It reads the color changes while we’re breathing,” he said of the app technology. “And then, the movement that happens while we’re breathing, it then turns that signal into numbers. And then you can see the numbers on your phone.”

The name Nyano holds a special meaning in Nepali, translating to the warmth and safety felt from a hug.

Rai hopes the app will bridge the gap between technology and human connection, providing peace of mind for families separated by distance.

Rai and his wife, Grace, are also connecting lives in person.

Grace runs the local grocery store and restaurant Muju International Groceries, which has evolved to include a large seating area and a menu with Nepali hot food and drinks.

The couple, who sought a fresh beginning in Utica, are committed to giving back to the community that welcomed them.

Rai’s journey to the U.S. began in 2014 when he fled Nepal and applied for asylum.

He found his way to Utica because it was where his wife is from.

Rai attended Utica University, where he studied business, and later was accepted at Harvard University, focusing on business and policy.

The couple married in 2018 and established the thriving international grocery store in the Utica area.

The name Muju is a version of the word for aunt in the Nepali language, māijū.

Rai has found a unique balance of serving his Utica community both online and in a brick-and-mortar store, which boasts a 4.9 out of 5-star rating on Google.